Dataset for "Geospatial mapping of the shortest distance between pharmacies and accredited drug dispensing outlets in Kinondoni and Ubungo districts, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania"
Description
Introduction One of the global mechanisms that enable equitable access to medicines is the involvement of privately run Private Medicine Outlets (PMOs) in providing pharmaceutical services. In Tanzania, PMOs include retail pharmacies meant to serve urban areas and accredited drug dispensing outlets (ADDOs) designated to serve rural and peri-urban areas. Regulations require the proper distribution of PMOs within communities because excessive distancing of outlets limits access to services, whereas overcrowding fuels unhealthy business competition. Aim of the study: This study mapped the distances between neighboring PMOs in the Kinondoni and Ubungo districts in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: Eighteen wards in the Kinondoni and Ubungo districts were surveyed. Data collectors moved along streets and roads, recording outlet coordinates and their displayed identifiers using REDCap software installed on mobile phones. This dataset contains geospatial and compliance data on the shortest distances between pharmacies and Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets (ADDOs) in the Kinondoni and Ubungo districts of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The dataset provides insights into the spatial distribution, regulatory compliance, and adjacency of ADDOs and pharmacies within these two districts. Each entry represents a unique premise and includes important attributes regarding location, type of outlet, and regulatory compliance. This dataset is useful for geospatial analysis of healthcare accessibility, regulatory compliance assessments, and studies of healthcare infrastructure distribution in urban settings. The data offers valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and health authorities to evaluate the spatial dynamics between pharmacies and ADDOs in Dar es Salaam.
Files
Steps to reproduce
The data refinement process followed the acquisition of relevant shapefiles from the Kinondoni and Ubungo districts of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. These shapefiles were obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) through their geo-database (https://www.nbs.go.tz/statistics/topic/gis) , which provides spatial and non-spatial information at five geographical levels: regional, district, ward/shehia, villages/mitaa, and enumeration areas. The shapefiles used were from the 2019 survey, which was part of the Census preparation for 2022. These district shapefiles, stored in vector data format (polygons), were imported into the Quantum Geographical Information System (QGIS 3.16) for further analysis and visualization.